Harry Potter and the Disgruntled Werewolf of Azkaban
by Tempest E. Dashon
Summary: Hermione was determined that the war would not end the way that it did. She would not sit by and watch the world move on without people like Lavender, Remus, or Tonks in it. She would defiantly not allow Severus Snape to stay dead. This is my entry for the "Greatest Actors" and "Freaky Friday" Challenge fics that Oak-Moon posted on the forums


Greetings my fellow fanfictionatics! I am back but this time I was completely prompted and ruled by Moon! It seems she went on a crazy forums moment and decided to just throw out some gauntlets to the writers. Since she is my personal mentor and the one person who was finally able to convince me to write what was in my head and stop being so reserved…I figured I would just have to pick up that gauntlet and smack someone with it.

So without any more delays, here is where I will be posting my entry for her amusement. Of course all of you other readers out there are more than welcome to tag along and enjoy the hilarity that I decided to get into while writing this Griffindor filled fic (ewww…just ewww)! I did some editing as I went but it took me all day to finish this one so I went ahead and posted it. I will go back and re-read it and check for any errors I missed along the way.

Listed below were my prompts and the challenges I picked. Now as I am a very good little Slytherin, I loop holed my way into both of her challenges at once…yes I am just that good! I admit to having issues actually writing this challenge prompt as it was not something I would normally have ever even thought to write. We all know I am Slytherin biased so writing a bunch of Griffindorks…umm Griffindors was a real challenge. Hopefully I managed to do the prompt justice.

This is rated M for swearing and mild sexuality. The world is not at all mine and belongs to the HP goddess JKR...we are all jealous!

**The 'Greatest Actors of All Time' Movie Challenge-Snitch level**

On this one I had to choose an actor from her list and have them appear as themselves in one of their own movies. Due to my other prompt which will be posted below, here is what I picked:

**Actor/Actors: ****Alan Rickman (Alrick Amann) and Gary Oldman (Ray Goldman)**

**Movie:**** Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban**

**Movie Quote:**** I had to pick a line from the movie that each of them said and quote it somewhere in my story. I plan to do this for both actors as well as throwing in a quote said by Alan in 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' and I will have Severus say it in the very end.**

**_Note: These quotes that I am using will be in bold lettering so they stand out from the rest of the story. I am giving all credit to JKR and anyone else who had a hand in the screen play for both movies and the writing of them. These bold lines are not in any way mine!_**

**UPDATE: Due to fanfiction rules, this challenge was changed last minute so that one of the actor's characters showed up in the story instead. We have since discovered we just cannot use the actor's real names. So for this fic I will be using the Tom Riddle trick and will be arranging letters and having the 'actor' chose to 'hide' his own name as part of the storyline. That way I can still use our beloved Alan and the every amusing Gary without breaking the rules.**

**The Freaky Friday Prompt Challenge-Order of Merlin, First Class with Honors**

On this one, Acantha Rayne Oak-Moon got to choose everything for me and I have to try to write using the different things presented. This was the original challenge I picked up and then added to with the one above.

**Minimum Length:**** 10,000 words**

**Soul Swap Pair:**** Remus Lupin and Sirius Black**

**Point in canon for swap:**** Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban during the transformation of Remus into his werewolf form**

**Quote that must be used: **** "Never trust a Marauder, even if they're your best friend."**

**Creature appearance: ****Centaur (cause werewolf would have been too easy Moon lol…witch!)**

**Item appearance: ****Time Turner (well at least she was nice somewhere on this huh?)**

**Character to cause the swap:**** Hermione Granger (and this is the proof Moon is my Sly-Girl! I really have to have HG if I am going to write a fic…especially with so many dang Griffindors around…ugh!)**

* * *

Hermione slowly came to with a blistering headache and every bone aching like she had been hit by a truck. She knew from years of training and experience that time travel of any length could be quite painful and disorientating but no one had ever tried to go back as far as she had. With the way she was feeling at the moment, she figured she was very lucky to still be alive and in one piece after all. If it had not been for such a worthy cause, she may have never even bothered to endure such pain. However, as far as she was concerned this was the worthiest cause of them all and so here she was lying on the dirt ground atop a hill just inside the forbidden forest aching from head to toe.

Sitting up, Hermione took some time to get her mind focused correctly on the 'what's' and 'when's' and 'why's' of how she came to be sitting here as she was. The first rule of long distance time travel was always to reorder your mind so you remember when you arrived, what you needed to do, and why you had chosen to mettle with time. Without those being correctly ordered in your mind, a person could lose themselves and their goals during the reorientation of their body to the material plane.

Hermione graduated Hogwarts a year after the final battle and the castle had been restored. She had left Hogwarts as the most accomplished student in ages, having gained 11 outstanding NEWTs. Every single department in the ministry, as well as many private sectors of potioneering, charms, and arithmacy research had tried to recruit her to their team. Hermione however had had a specific goal in mind even then and had taken a spot with the Unspeakables, against the arguments with her friends and with Ron. What she felt needed to be accomplished could not be done without the secrets that were housed within the ranks of the mysterious hooded figures.

As the years past in a blur of research, testing, and more research, Hermione watched her friends as they one by one married and had children. She stood beside Ginny Weasley as her Maid of Honor as she became Ginny Potter. She sat in the third row on the groom's side as Ron pledged his heart to another instead of her and let her few tears fall in both happiness for him and sadness for herself. She was there for every single birth of every single new Potter and Weasley to be born and was always happy to be another Aunt who spoiled them all rotten. When she was not working she watched as her friends grew and loved and lived where she could not.

It was only in the last year as all her accumulated research and testing had finally come to fruition that she started to doubt herself and her plans. Though this project had been 20 years in the making, she wondered if it was right of her to make this decision now after all this time. Harry and Ginny had four beautiful children, one of which had just graduated Hogwarts this past May. Ron and Pansy, who had fallen in love in such a peculiar way, had six children of varying ages and were so very happy and content in their daily lives. The Griffindors of her class had made peace with not only the war and the deaths, but with those that had been dragged to the other side like Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott and could be seen having lunch or out and about at any time with each other.

Even Hermione had managed to put aside the anger and hurt feelings and was surprising the best of friends with not only Theo and Blaise but Draco as well. It seemed that once the three boys had been able to get out from under their parent's shadowed past, they turned into quite the tolerant and congenial sort. She tended to have lunch with one or two or all three of them at any given time in the Ministry cafeteria.

If she achieved her goal, all of that would be erased. Not only would she no longer be here to witness any new developments if she failed, none of this would have ever happened at all if she succeeded. Hermione had spent years consulting seers, masters of the divination trade, researchers who had delved quite deeply into the dangers of time travel and pushing the envelope accomplished so far. Thousands of arithmacy calculations were done to determine the fixed points that needed to be changed in order to shift the future and the events that would happen as they unfolded. Hermione had spent nearly one hundred and fifty of the one hundred and sixty-eight hours of each week in the bowels of the Ministry researching, testing, planning, consulting, until twenty years later she had not only a way to go back far enough in time to do what needed to be done but also knew what each of her changes would do to the time line and her friends.

Now after all of that, here she sat in the year 1994 on this secluded hilltop overlooking not only part of the forest but the Whomping Willow and the place where she had to make her first change. Standing up and dusting herself off, Hermione made her way to the spot she would need to be to wait out the drama that was to unfold. Going over her plan and every detail to the exact second helped not only pass the time but to boost her confidence that this would work and that she would be one step closer to making everything right again.

Waiting was always the hardest part of all of this and as she watched the grounds for the first signs that she could move into phase two, her mind drifted to all of the memories long ago that had accumulated to this moment. She knew that though her heart hurt for the Weasley's losing Fred and Andromeda losing both Tonks and Remus, that it was really one dark and brooding potion's master who could love so deeply to prove love could be forever that brought her back here. She was most nervous about coming face to face with him now since they were roughly the same age. His face, his voice, even his biting words and snark…she could not wait to behold them all again and hoped against all odds her would not only listen to her but believe her and help her in her endeavor tonight.

Her wait was not very long as coming over the rise at a dead run were Ron and Harry and the younger version of her. She watched as the both tried to warn the other, watched as Sirius in his animagus form drag Ron into the tunnel leading to the shrieking shack. Hermione even winces as she watching young Hermione and Harry get hit by the very deadly Willow and rubs at her ribs in remembered pain. She waits patiently as they recover and escape into the tunnel themselves before silently casting the spell she learned from Professor Snape's portrait and turns to black smoke to fly down to the edge of the forest.

Right on time, Hermione could see the enigmatic Professor heading her way with his determined stride and his face set in stern lines of disapproval. Readying herself for the hardest part of this plan, Hermione settles herself against the tree and using a camouflage spell her mentor taught her, she makes herself blend into the surrounding so well that she literally disappears. Watching Snape get closer, her heart rate speeds up in both fear and anticipation. Using the adrenaline coursing through her veins she waits for the moment he is just past her before flicking her fingers and sending him sliding into a tree. Before he has a chance to blink, let alone cast or yell, she has a silence charm cast, his wand in her hand, and ropes and a sticking charm holding him to the tree.

Letting the camouflage spell melt away, Hermione moves up to her old Professor and takes in his face for a moment before addressing him. Even with his eyes blazing in fury and indignation, Hermione can admire the Romanesque features that make his looks not pleasing but very arresting. Reaching forward she cannot help but run her hands over a few of the buttons on his frock coat before dropping her hand again and clearing her throat.

"I apologize for the abrupt and very rude way in which I had to catch your attention Professor Snape. I did not wish to cause you any distress or anger but as you are an integral part of my plan, I needed to make sure you would sit still long enough to hear me out."

Looking up at him and pulling her hood down, she watches as his eyes grow larger in surprise and take on a hint of confusion before he shuts down again and blanks his face of all emotions.

"As you can see, I am obviously not what you would have been expecting. I will of course explain everything but first I need to make sure you believe I am who you see in front of you. I am in fact Hermione Granger…just an older version of her. I am now 39 years old and before you argue that does not match my birthday…keep in mind I have at this moment a time turner around my neck that was given to me by Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall so that I could take every single class possible in my third year."

Gesturing in the direction of her younger self as she explains, she checks her watch to see how much time she truly has. At this point Sirius and Remus should be explaining about the bastard rat and what his crimes truly were.

"In my time the war is over and I am working in the Department of Mysteries as an Unspeakable. My area of study is time travel and how to use arithmacy to change past events that are thought to be fixed points in time. Hence my presence here. There are things that happened that should not have and after 20 years of extensive research and calculation, I have found exactly when I need to travel to and how to change the event to ensure a better outcome in the future."

Taking a deep breath and shifting nervously on her feet, Hermione looks up and meets his eyes with as much confidence as she can muster up.

"I am prepared to let you see what you need to see to believe me and then I would like to lay out my plan. I need your help throughout the entire process. Without it, I am afraid that everything I needed to do will have failed. So I ask that you please truly see what I need you to see and listen to what I have to say."

Waiting with bated breath, Hermione sighs in relief as Snape nods his head in agreement and opens his mouth to speak and then raises one eyebrow at her.

"I am going to release your voice first sir. I need a vow from you that you will at not attack me once I have released you fully. I am not the same young and naïve little idiot Griffindor that I was and I do not wish to hurt you…but I will if you force me to."

With another nod from him, Hermione waves her wand and releases the silence spell first. Holding out her hand she grips his hand that is stuck at the wrist to the tree. Looking up at him so he can see her sincerity, Hermione speaks first.

"I, Hermione Jean Granger, do swear on my magic that I mean Severus Tobias Snape absolutely no harm. I do swear that I am here to right wrongs that have yet to be committed and that I need his help specifically in order to achieve my goals. I also swear to be as transparent and honest with him as I can be about what I need, what the plan is, and to answer any questions I can that he may ask that will not completely jeopardize my plan or the future events that cannot change."

As a golden line snakes out of her skin and wraps around both of their joined hands, she decides to show that she truly does trust him by releasing his arms so he can hold his wand and make the vow. Rolling her fingers as she rotates her wrist, she levitates his wand to him and matches his raised eyebrow with one of her own.

"I, Severus Tobias Snape, do swear on my magic that I will listen to what Hermione has to say about the future and her plans. I swear that I will not attack her without hearing her out and giving her fair warning of any pending attack I may decide to launch. I also do swear to only take what information is needed to believe Hermione in her story and no more."

As a dark silver thread of magic comes from his skin and wraps itself around their hands, Hermione has to catch her breath at the amount of power and determination is behind his magic.

"With these vows made, I release you from your binding and put into your hands my complete and utter trust and acceptance. So mote it be."

The magic thrums against their hands before pulsing one time and sinking back under their skin, leaving a faint mark along their hands where the threads were attached.

"Now..Ms. Granger…I think it is time to show me what it is I need to know so we can move past this instinct to attack you and defend myself and the school."

Giving him a soft smile and turning to walk into the woods a little she mumbles _Indeed_ very much the same way he used to causing Severus to pause in his movements to cough and control the surprised laugh that tried to escape. Once far enough inside to be out of sight, Hermione turns and leans against one of the trees to look up at the blank face of Severus Snape. Giving herself one more long slow blink to moisten her eyes, she stares into his dark, fathomless eyes and waits. With a quietly spoken legilimens, she can feel him enter her mind and she carefully pulls her shields down so he can see she is in fact letting him see her real memories and not some she has created in front of her defenses.

Starting at first year and quickly working his way through, Severus sees bits and pieces of her life here at Hogwarts all the way up until he gets to the moment she enters the Shrieking Shack. At this point she takes control and slows down the moving pictures and scenes. Letting her voice whisper through his mind, she explains what he is seeing and what important information he really needs to take from the memory.

"_I know that Sirius and James were fucking awful to you sir. There is a moment in the final battle where you show Harry and he showed me so that I could understand what was going on and why it was so important to our cause. I know you are on our side because of Lily and I know how much you hate Sirius and why…but it was not Sirius who gave Lily to He Who Must Not Be Named…it was Peter Pettigrew. Right at this moment, outside of our minds, Sirius and Remus and proving this to Harry and Ron and myself and plan to kill Peter. That is one of the fixed points that we have to change…we have to let Peter die here and now. It will change so many little things but it will also change one huge detail and it is one that we need to have changed for my calculations to work properly."_

Moving past this point in her memory, Severus continues through watching small bits and pieces of her two years after before she cuts the memories off and gently pushes him out of her head and back into the present.

Giving it a moment for both of them to gain their bearings, Severus looks at her with his brows furrowed, crossing his arms and leaning back against a tree opposite of her.

"It was obvious your seventh year was something very important and had nothing to do with being at Hogwarts. Is there a reason you would not let me go further?"

Nodding as she rubs at her temples to ease the oncoming headache, she looks back up at him with a sad smile.

"Harry, Ron, and I had to leave the school for things I cannot yet share with you. I promise that if you agree to help, I will give you more as time passes and explain more as it is needed. Let's just leave it at we left to complete a very important mission set by Dumbledore and we would not have been safe or welcomed at the school by then."

Letting this sink in as his face takes on a worried look Severus nods and gestures for her to continue with her explanations.

"I have the ability to go to any place in time now to the exact day and time. I have points marked that need to be changed to ensure that not only do we still win the battle…and yes we do win."

Giving him a knowing smile as he lets out a long breath and seems to visibly relax, Hermione continues in a more excited voice.

"Anyway I have points marked that will not only win us the battle but save the most amount of lives that we actually lost the first time around and create a better base for the new future. I understand that this will destroy the current time line, most likely ripping it completely out of the ley lines of space and time. I am also aware that this is going to end up utterly destroying this version of me and that it will most likely be a very painful death as all punishments are. My mentor back at the DOM explained that bad things happen to witches and wizards that mess with time and that the amount of chaos I am causing by changing so much is going to come back to attack the only thing left that it can…me."

Shrugging as she says this, Hermione gives the now unhappy looking Snape another sad smile.

"Before you get all over protective on me Snape…remember that I am a grown woman now and not a little teenage child. I have thought long and hard about this decision and though I do not wish to die and possible never have some of the memories and things that I have had…my pain and subsequent death are a very tiny price to pay to save all those I love and miss. One life for the many so to speak…in my ever infinite Griffindor rashness and impudence…it is worth it."

Hearing laughter and low pitched voices, Hermione turns her head and waves her wand. The trees surrounding them seem to shimmer and shake before forming into a glass-like surface that fills with the faces of some of the people she loves the most. Harry and Sirius have their arms around Ron as they help him out of the tunnel and over to sit on the grassy hill. Remus comes out right behind them with a timid smile on his face and reaches back to help the younger Hermione out of the tunnel and away from the sleeping Willow.

"This is where I need your help first Professor. Remus forgot to take his potion in his worry over Peter and his haste to come help Sirius. He is about to transform into a werewolf without Wolfsbane."

Reaching out and grabbing his arm as he moved to go to the group in the mirrored surface, Hermione looks up at him.

"I have a way to ensure he does not hurt anyone even in that state. I will get close enough to use it and then you can explain that you heard that it was Peter and that you had come to help. Sirius will not be an issue as his mouth will be…utterly useless in this conversation. Put your hatred of the Marauders aside for tonight and help get both Sirius and Remus to a safe place. Then you will need to bring Dumbledore up to speed on what Peter did and that his body is in the shack. Let the Aurors handle it from there as that is their job and what the projection showed would help clear Sirius of the charges. Once everyone has left with the information, I will meet you in the Room of Requirement to tell you what this fixed point changed and how it will affect the next few years, as well as when you can expect to see me again."

Taking a few deep breathes to get his temper in check and giving this Hermione, what he was coming to think of his secret Hermione, one last nod he headed off at a run to meet up with the unwitting band of Griffindor dunderheads. He could hear the lighter steps of Hermione behind him as they neared the clearing where everyone was standing around. Just as he broke the tree line and stepped between two of the people he hated the most in his life and the children he swore to protect, Remus doubled over in pain and let lose a deep groan.

"He is going to turn Black and he did not take his damn potion. I know…I know it all and for now I am not here to tangle with you or with him. I just want to make sure to get these idiots safely back to the school and away from the man eating werewolf we are about to have on our hands!"

Looking at him in shock, all five Griffindors found that for the first time in ever they were all speechless as to what to say and none had any idea what to do with an understanding Snape.

Just as Harry gained his wits enough to start to comment, Remus let out another groan that turned into a deep baritone growl as he fell into Sirius' arms. Gripping him tightly, Sirius pulled Remus up to look him in the eyes as he watched them bleed to the yellow of his wolf.

"**You know the man you truly are, Remus! This heart is where you truly live! This heart! Here! This flesh is only flesh!"** Trying to hold on to his friend as the convulsions of change started, Sirius looked over at Snape and at the three young kids standing behind him staring at them in abject fear.

"Run Harry…take your friends and get back to the castle! I will be fine as long as there are no humans around for him to attack." Keeping his grip tight on Remus, Sirius nods to Snape before focusing completely on his oldest friend.

"I am not leaving you Sirius. Please Professor Snape…do something…I can't lose him now that I just got him back. Please…." Looking up into the blank eyes of his most hated Professor, Harry fears his pleas will be ignored until Snape turns and backs them up a few steps but holds his ground with them behind him.

"I have it on good authority that this issue will be handled without any damage being done to anyone out here. This time Potter…I will grant your wish…this time."

The shift was the most grotesque and violent thing any of the young Griffindors had ever seen and as the final crack echoed in the air and the werewolf howled out the last note of pain, Hermione whimpered and leaned against the back of her Professor with her head leaning on him.

Just before Sirius started to change to meet wolf head on with his dog, a thrum of powerful magic floated across the clearing and swirled around the panting werewolf and his human companion. Severus could not only feel the spell but could hear the words being chanted softly inside his head.

_Hanc universam et dimidium_

_Take this whole and make it half_

_Scinditur lucem ac tenebras_

_Split the light and the dark_

_Dolor utu nus quasi duo quiesceret_

_As one in pain, as two at rest._

Just as the werewolf that used to be Remus Lupin turned his head to pin the ground of children with his yellow eyes, the spell burst around them and the malice in his eyes faded until he looked like a confused but otherwise ferocious monster. Shaking his head and growling before stumbling on his feet and sitting down all the way, the Remus wolf looked up at Sirius and let loose a very pathetic whine.

"Well don't look at me for an answer Padfoot…I assure you that I did not cause this. Hopefully Professor Snape can be of some assistance?" Looking over his shoulder to meet Severus' gaze with a confused one of his own, Sirius gently patted the Were on the head as you would a pet dog.

"Professor Lupin?" As Hermione watched the exchange her mind whirling with possibilities, she scrunched her brow in confusion before letting the question hang in the air.

"It would seem that that is the correct guess Ms. Granger. I am not sure how but a former student that was helping me with recent events and putting the pieces together also knew you had forgotten your potion and that you would be a danger tonight. She devised a spell that would help keep you in control and apparently that was to make it so that you were not in the wolf's body but in the closest one to you." Severus crossed his arms as he explained, rubbing his bottom lip back and forth with his finger as he thought about this new development.

Watching the Were whine and turn in circles trying to get a look at his entire body before falling over and scratching wildly at his body with his back foot, Remus chuckles and freezes as he realizes it is Sirius' laugh and not his own that he is emitting.

"Are you telling me that my Godfather is now in the body of a shifted Professor Lupin and that Professor Lupin is in Sirius' body? Why?" Looking up at Severus for an answer, Harry scratches his own head in confusion and slumps to the ground to sit.

Not ever having Potter look at him as if he held the answers for once, Severus had to keep from standing tall and puffing out his chest in arrogance and pride. He always wondered what it would feel like to have James Potter's son lean on him for advice and help and now he would get a chance to find out.

"If I understood the spell correctly, it separated Remus from the physical wolf. One theory is that wolf is as much a part of the man as the man is the wolf. The wolf not only lives in your body as the disease that causes the painfully transformation of the human body but also lives as another spirit inside your soul. That is supposed to be the part that takes over your mind when you transform without Wolfsbane and makes the victim into a raving mad beast. If the spell does what I believe it to do then it takes the wolf spirit and the human soul and pulls it away from the physical wolf/human host. In doing so it gives the wolf spirit peace from the painful transformation and the hereditary instincts to hunt and kill that a Were normally has."

"So the man and wolf would be at peace inside their new uninfected host while the human soul you replaced in the wolf body has no wolf spirit for the disease to enrage and feed on so they can be calm and docile and stay in their right mind?" As Hermione realizes she interrupted the dark Professor with her conclusion, she slaps her hand over her mouth and stares up at him in fear.

"Precisely Ms. Granger…10 points to Griffindor for not being an utter dunderhead." With a smirk worthy of Loki himself, Severus watches her mouth fall open in complete shock followed by the same reaction from Potter and Weasley before turning back to the Remus driven Sirius in front of him.

"You and I have never gotten along Lupin and to be frank I detest everything about you and your flea ridden friend."

At his insult, Wolf Sirius lets out a low growl and stands to glare at Severus who holds up his hand to placate the wolf.

"However, I have been told that it behooves us all if we get you both somewhere safe until this can all blow over. Once you two are settled, I will inform Dumbledore of what has happened and we will get the Auror's involved so they can clear Black of all charges of murdering the Potter's, Pettigrew, and those muggles. Once that is done, we will see where we go from there."

Nodding as he talks, Remus looks down at Sirius and grins.

"You make an awful werewolf old chap…you are much better as a mangy mutt." Laughing as Wolf Sirius attacks him and proceeds to lick him with smelly Were slobber, Severus shakes his head and turns to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"I give you my word that I will get them to safety and I will make sure you are able to see Black as soon as possible. For now, I need all of you to keep this all to yourselves and go back to your dorm. I will send for you tomorrow sometime and we can discuss it further at that time."

Looking one last time in longing at his godfather, Harry nods to Snape and turns with his two best friends to hurry back to the castle and away from the interesting development that was the Wolf Sirius and Remus/Sirius pair. What a very odd night this had turned in to. Just glad that his godfather was alive and safe, Harry was able to not only get back to his room but fall asleep with relative ease.

Watching them walk away, Severus had a moment of envy for the closeness they had with each other and wondered what that felt like to have someone who stood by you even in the dark and dangerous times. Turning back around he couldn't help but smirk evilly at the grunting and whining werewolf that was presently lying on his back on the ground with a clawed hand over his face as if to block out the nightmare he was in.

"As for you two…it seems we need to get you some place no one has access to or would think to look for you in. If you can get the mutt to promise not to piss all over the furniture, I can take you to my ancestral home and let you stay there. At this time, no one but Albus knows about it and no one has access through the wards aside from me."

Nodding Remus…Sirius…Remus…how confusing this was going to be for anyone who did not have a functioning brain…Remus bent down and smacked at Wolfius to get up. Severus chuckled silently at his new name for Sirius as he waited for the two idiots to get themselves together. Once Remus was holding on to Wolfius securely, Severus walked over and placed his hand on Remus' arm and focusing on his apparition point whisked them away to his home.

* * *

Up on top of another hilltop sat two very familiar and yet very distinctly different men from those that had just vanished.

"It seems that that crazy woman was indeed telling the truth Alrick. Not only is this a book and a movie in our time on our Earth…it is a living breathing real life story on another. I have read the theory of alternate universes before but never thought I would see one for myself." Drinking deeply of his wine, Ray Goldman grinned over at his good friend and longtime acting partner Alrick Amann.

"If I had not seen this with my own eyes I would never have believed it or you. This has been an insane day so far. I look forward to seeing what changes now that a future Hermione Granger is running around with a custom time turner changing events at her whim. Should make for an interesting epilogue to be sure." Alrick toasted Ray once more as he poured them more wine and waited for the next bit of drama to unfold.

"I have to say I am sorry that Severus did not make it into the tunnel. That was one of my favorite lines out of the whole movie." Pouting slightly, Ray sighs and takes yet another deep drink of his beverage.

"And pray tell what line is that…Ray?" Raising a signature Severus eyebrow, Alrick turns more to face Ray.

"You know the one…**Why don't you run along and play with your chemistry set!**" Grinning from ear to ear, Ray toasts Alrick again and then closes his eyes as the world spins and the two appear leaning against a tree watching as Severus and the two Marauders land and step through a ward to a manor that neither recoginizes.

"This was not in the movies or the books…wonder where we are. So what was your favorite line in this movie Alrick?" Keeping a keen eye on the moment playing out between the childhood enemies, he glances over at Alrick to see a grin form on his face.

"**Turn to page three hundred and ninty…four.**" Chuckling and taking a sip of his drink he turns to look at Ray and grins even more at the confused look he is receiving.

"For what reason would that be your favorite line from this movie?" Shaking his head back and forth in confusion, Ray finishes off his wine and pours another glass.

"Women Ray…all the lovely, lovely ladies who now swoon in fanfictions while typing out that line. Apparently it is one of the most popular lines they like to relive. Along with my way of saying Indeed and Obviously…and of course the ever loved Always." Giving Ray a conspirators wink, Alrick sits back and continues to enjoy what has now become an unexpected showing of _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_.

* * *

Landing outside the Prince family wards, Severus walked through while pulling Remus along by the arm until they were across the borders.

"If you leave you will not be able to get back in without my assistance. It would be best if you stay put until I come back to get you. The guest cottage is behind the house and is being readied as we speak by the Prince elves. If you need anything not provided just call for Duke and he can get you what you need."

At his name, a very old and regally dressed elf appeared and bowed low to Snape. Looking back up and at the two misfits with him, the elf gave them a sneer that was so like the one Snape wore that both Remus and Wolfius chuffed out a laugh before hiding their faces.

"I will sees to the guest Master Snape. Do yous be needing anything else at this time?" Turning his back on the two mongrels and giving his full attention to his master, Duke waited for any further instructions.

"Not at the present time Duke…thank you Make sure they have all they need and if any trouble occurs, come get me immediately."

Bowing one last time, Duke gestured for the two guests to follow him and started for the guest house on the back of the property.

"Thank you Severus. I know that we have never gotten on but we really do appreciate the help and you letting go of the past long enough to fix what has been broken so to speak." Reaching out, Remus holds his hand out and waits.

Staring at it, Severus knows this is a moment that will change so many things for him and for Remus. Deciding to trust that odd bit of hope and absolute devotion that he felt inside his Hermione's head as he watched her memories, he reaches out and takes a firm grip on the hand offered.

"This does not make us friends Remus but you are welcome." Dropping his hand he glares down at Black before stepping back and readying to apparate away. Pausing as his heart beat skips, he glances down at the wolf that now has his hand held gently in his mouth. He does his best to keep the fear off his face but as he stands there the wolf whines and seems to bore into his soul with his eyes. Letting his occlumency weaken just a little he hears the brush of a Thank you run across his mind and utterly perplexed he nods at the wolf once.

Letting go of his hand, man and beast who had been best friends since their first year at Hogwarts, turn and walk side by side towards their new safe house. Severus watches them go until they are completely out of site before turning on the spot and apparating back to the spot he last saw the older Ms. Granger.

Looking around to make sure he was alone, he walks back into the trees to find her. Within a few feet of entering the tree line he finds her sitting on the trunk of one fallen tree while leaning her back against another right beside it. Her eyes are closed and she appears to be resting. Due to his many years spent as a spy Severus can tell that she is in fact very much aware that he has returned and is near her. For her to have enough trust to not open her eyes or have her wand already in hand is a very perplexing thing and he really wants to get to the bottom of this unshakable trust she seems to have in him.

"Tell me Ms. Granger…why do you seem to not only no longer be afraid of me but have such complete and utter faith that I will not hurt you or capture you for either side?" Sitting on a the fallen log of the same tree she is using the trunk of, he rests his elbows on his knees and puts his weight on them as he waits.

Opening her eyes she stares at the tree top for a moment before smiling and turning her face to him, that smile still in place and warming even more as her eyes meet his.

"I told you…at the final battle we learned things about you none of us knew. I never really lost faith that you were on our side. Dumbledore always trusted you and said you were with us and though there are many things I would like to punch that asshole in the nose for…believing him about you is not one of them. If I had to pick between trusting you or Dumbledore now…I would stand at your side every time."

Using all of his mental control to not let his shock show at that last statement, he clears his throat and looks out over the forest so he doesn't have to see the blatant trust in her eyes.

"So what now Ms. Granger? Where do we go from here?"

Hearing her chuckle he turns back to face her only to find she is moving and having to scoot over as she sits down so close that their arms are touching.

"Now you go deal with Dumbledore and get Sirius cleared of all charges. You make sure he gets custody of Harry and Harry gets away from his abusive Aunt and Uncle." Holding up her hand she shakes her head no as she meets his eyes.

"I could tell you but I will not. That is for Harry to either trust you enough to confide in you about or not. I will not break his trust that way just like I would not break yours by telling everyone where your heart and loyalties lie and why."

Really taking that in for a moment, Severus huffs out a breath through his nose and nods.

"Once that is all settled then we all continue as we have been for a while. Of course, Remus and Sirius will need to be put back to rights in the morning so that if something goes wrong it is not Remus that ends up back in the ministry clutches. We need him to teach us this year. He is by far the best Defense teacher we have before you and we need that to continue."

Jerking his head back around to take in her honest face, Severus turns his body to face her fully.

"I finally get the Defense position?"

Giving him a knowing smile she nods.

"Yes you do. Our sixth year you will be put in that spot and Professor Slughorn will return to teach potions…dreadful teacher that one is. He knows his potions but his bias towards certain types of students is ridiculous and quite insulting." Wrinkling her nose at the memory causes Severus to huff out a slight laugh.

"Do not tell me you were not one of his prized Slughorn pupils Ms. Granger for I would not believe you. You are by far the most likely to amount to anything in all of your class and he would not pass that or you up."

Blushing at his compliment and smiling to the point it almost hurts, Hermione lets out a mock sound of offense and crosses her arms.

"As if I would ever lower myself to be one of his sycophants! Though he did invite me to his stupid club and I did go to a few of the dinners to piss off Ron. Looking back now I wish it had been your club or potions study or something. I hate that snake face had to get in the way of so much of my life." Pulling on a chain around her neck, Hermione pulled her custom time turner into her hands and held it out face up so Severus could see the design.

The center piece was made to look just like an hour glass with the time sand inside. However, this time sand seemed to be in perpetual motion inside the center of each half of the hour glass. The outside outline of the hour glass was what looked like a pearlescent rock or metal that had been fussed to hold the hour glass in place and closed. Running his finger along the substance, Severus quirked a brow at Hermione in question.

"Unicorn horn…given freely by an elder female here in the forest. She was dying and came to me so that at the moment of her death I could extract it from her head and use it to make the time turner."

Nodding at her blankly but impressed none the less, Severus took in the delicately etched design of the lion on one side and the snake curled on the other on each half of the hour glass.

"I am sure that is easy to figure out but since I knew you were integral to my plans, the lion is to help make sure I make it here intact and the snake is too make sure I make it to you every time. Would hate to try to move forward or backward and end up in the wrong spot or with the wrong person…that would not do at all." Grinning at him, she slid the time turner back under her shirt and stood up as the hoof steps of one of the Centaurs became audible.

Pulling Severus behind her and pushes his hand down as she bows, Hermione waits to be acknowledged by the giant creature.

"You are trespassing by being in this forest human. The rules are quite clear between us and the school."

"Greetings Firenze…trusted guardian of the Forbidden Forest. May the stars guide your way and the path always be wooded and plentiful. We apologize for trespassing. We needed a quiet place to discuss very important matters that pertain to the safety of Hogwarts and found this to be the best place to have such a discussion at this time." Keeping her head bowed, Hermione keeps a firm grip on Severus' wand hand and waits to see if her calculations were correct.

"Rise young one. You are the Little Witch out of Time…which makes the dark one the Master of Secrets. We have been watching your progress and listening to the wind tell us of your arrival. Greetings and welcome to our home. May the stars guide your way and the path always be wooded and plentiful."

Standing straight and giving him a smile, Hermione lets go of Severus but runs her fingertips down and along his hand before she folds her hands in front of her to talk to their newest companion.

"It that the name the herd has given to me during my time here? I have to say that I like it. I also like the name given to Severus…it suits him." Grinning back at the dark wizard, she catches him looking at his hand where she touched him with confusion. Turning back to face Firenze with an even larger grin, she takes a seat again and pulls some fruit from her beaded bag.

"Care to share a quick snack with me as I am sure I will be seeing a lot of you over the next few years?"

At his nod of assent, Hermione splits the apple three ways and hands a piece to the centaur, one to Severus, and then eats one herself. Starting from the beginning, Hermione spends the next few hours telling Firenze all that she has learned and knows about her mission and how the Master of Secrets would be her only other contact until all was done.

As the sun started to peak over the horizon, Firenze bid them a farewell and headed deeper into the forest to exchange information with his herd and ready a place for Hermione to stay whenever she was in need of a place to sleep or escape to.

Once alone again, Severus glances down into the honey colored eyes this incredible witch. Amazed at all she has figured out and then risk she was taking to make sure she saved more lives at the cost of her own made him yearn to have had someone who cared that much about him.

"Well I guess I should let you get back to the dipshit duo and get them set to rights. I will sleep here tonight for a few hours but then I really must move on to the next location in time. Hopefully all will go as it should and I will find exactly what I am looking for there. Do be careful as this moves forward sir. I did not design this whole thing to save your life just to watch you die again…" Saying this while bending over to pick up her beaded bag, she is pulled upright and against Severus as he looks at her with intensity in his eyes she isn't sure how to take.

"What do you mean you designed this for me?" Gritting his teeth to hold his control, he waits to see what lie she will come up with next.

"I know you Severus and right now you think that was an off-handed comment to make you feel important that I didn't mean….and you would be wrong. I watch…watched you die and I had no way to stop it then. I found out you were exactly what and who I believed you to be in the end. And I was pretty much in total obsession with you in third year right after you risked your life to save us from Remus. The obsession turned to a teenage crush on the smartest Professor in the entire school by fifth year and only got worse as I grew older and knew you were on our side."

Pulling her arms out of his grip to reach up, Hermione took his face gently in her hands and ran her thumbs along his temples.

"I have spent 20 years in the bowels of the ministry using every waking minute possible learning and studying and testing and failing under your tutelage, or rather your portraits tutelage for one goal in mind. Originally that goal was to save all those who had died on our side and try to fight and end this war faster and easier and with a lot less bloodshed. Five years into it, my goal was to just manage to go back in time through my experiments and research so that you would finally be proud of me for something I did."

Letting her shields drop so her heart was in her eyes, Hermione took a deep breath and gave him the rest of the truth so he would understand her motives and her better.

"The last 10 years I spent crying over the fact that you were gone, jealous that I would never have your heart like she did, and determined that you would survive this gods forsaken war so that I had a chance to win at least a piece of your heart from her and make it mine. Now…I just want to know you live…I need you to survive this war and come out the other side breathing. I may be trying to save everyone else too but if I just save you then the risk…the price…worth it!"

Before she could lose her nerve, Hermione rose up on her tiptoes and placed her lips against Severus' and poured her every emotion into her magic so he would feel it along his skin. Pulling back just enough to speak, Hermione kept her eyes on his as they slowly opened and filled with confusion.

"I love you Severus Tobias Snape…in this life time and every one that comes after."

After only a moment of watching him freeze in total confusion and shock, Hermione pulls away and starts to step back. Finding herself once more in his arms, she moans as his lips crash down on hers again and he slides his tongue along hers as her mouth opens with the noise. Within seconds she is swept away in a tidal wave of passion and desire as he takes the kiss deeper and his hold loosens so he can run his hands up and down her sides and along her back. A low groan rises in his throat and spills out over her lips and Hermione knows she is truly lost now and will never be found again…for she is lost to Severus and does not wish to be found.

One moment she is standing on her feet in his arms and the next Hermione finds herself being thrust away from his body but held up by his hands.

"I apologize Ms. Granger…I have no idea why I allowed that to happen…"

Snorting a very unladylike sound, Hermione pulls out of his grasp and brushes her hair out of her face.

"I would hope it was because you were interested in what I said and had to offer….or at least found my touch mildly soothing or desirable." Rolling her eyes, she gathers her beaded bag up once more and gives him a kind smile.

"I know Severus…all of it…no need to explain or apologize or feel bad. I could not have ever even contemplative what that would feel like and now I know. If I never get another single thing from you in the physical or emotional sense…that will be enough. I can die happy knowing the love of my life kissed me once before I went." Stepping forward and handing him a slip of paper as she kisses him on the cheek, Hermione pulls out her time turner and runs her fingers over the snake.

"That will help you change Remus and Sirius back to themselves…or rather put their souls back to rights. The first part is just for you so that you can enjoy embarrassing the two and knowing you have yet another secret to hold over them in the end. We will meet again soon love. Until then please stay safe and do try to be a slightly less prickly arsehole to me and my friends."

Blowing him a kiss, Hermione places her hands in a very peculiar pattern around the time turner device and speaks in a language Severus has never heard before. The sand inside the hour glass begins to spin faster and a golden glow starts to emit through the cracks of the shape her hand makes.

Grimacing as the magic takes hold, Hermione shuts her eyes and bites her lip as the pain crawls up her spine and runs along her magical signature. Keeping her destination in mind she grasps the time turner by one end and spins it and lets it twirl unimpeded. Catching his eye one more time, Hermione whispers her words of love as the magic thrums loudly and then with a crack almost like someone apparating she is gone and Severus is left standing alone in the forbidden forest with her note in his hand and her taste on his lips.

* * *

Severus waited two days before going back to Prince Hall to help the two last remaining Marauders out. He figured not only would he enjoy the prank Hermione left him to use on them but letting them deal with being each other for a few extra days wouldn't hurt either.

Walking into the cottage, he curls his lip up in disgust as he finds Sirius shirtless in Remus' body lounging on the couch eating what looked like a bowl of pig slop. Remus on the other hand was fully dressed in his Sirius suit complete with a shirt and pants and looked pretty well rested.

As the door to the cottage closed both men looked up and then moved quickly to their feet as they registered that Severus was finally back.

"Took you long enough Sniv…uh Severus! I actually had to go through the whole transformation the past few nights and let me tell you it is nothing like taking on my Animagus form. It's bloody painful is what it is!" Sirius-Remus pouted at him as he caught the shirt Lupin threw his way and put it on.

"Indeed…I imagine it is. And yet you had no issues with trying to throw me to the literal wolf back in school so he could eat me and take me out of your misery." Raising that eyebrow of his at the man in front of him, Severus found that though the anger was still there, it seemed to have been tempered somehow…maybe due to a beautiful witches kiss. Maybe what Dumbles said about love was true because he was too busy marveling at having a witch tell him that she loved him to hold on to the anger he so righteous felt not three days ago.

"Yeah…right…about that. Look Snape…we…I was a right dick to you for so long and for no other reason than I could be. I know you and I will never be friends but for Harry's sake and for the sake of this war…can we just bury the hatchet and maybe try to be at least civil with one another?"

Looking at the wizard in question, Severus took a step back from him and held up the piece of paper.

"Ask me that again when you are standing in your own retched body with your own retched face and we will see. Are you ready to be back to normal?"

At the enthusiastic nod of both wizards, Severus had to bite the inside of his lip to hold in the evil smirk that he wanted so badly to let loose.

"The witch who performed the spell gave me the counter measures because she is a spy for the Order and can't be seen by anyone else. It says here that I am to do the foolish wand waving and say the spell as you two kiss. The joining of the two affected bodies along with the words will allow you to switch back and your soul be restored to its rightful place."

Looking up he almost didn't hold the laughter at the look of horror that Sirius-Remus was sporting or the look of contemplation the Remus-Sirius was giving his best friend in his body.

"I have always wondered what kissing me felt like.' I always imagined I was a damn fine kisser."

"SIRIUS!" Turning a very bright shade of red, Sirius-Remus took a step away from his friend and his own body and looked back to Severus in a pleading fashion.

"Sorry Remus but that is truly what it says you have to do…well that or get closer in a whole different way. I don't think you want to go that far so I just went with kiss."

Blanching at that comment, Sirius-Remus leans his head back and closes his eyes on a groan.

"Okay…okay fine…give me a second. Clean your…my teeth Sirius. I am not kissing you after that crap you were eating. The smell alone made me feel nauseous."

Watching Remus pace back and forth mumbling to himself while Black freshened his teeth, Severus could feel the mirth building up inside and was determined the next time he saw that little witch, he was going to reward her beyond her imagination for this. He just had to be patient and wait to see when she arrived next.

Once both wizards seem to be ready, Severus held up his wand and waited. Watching Remus lean in awkwardly towards his own face was something Severus knew he would take out and watch in a pensive over and over again so he could laugh properly. Black on the other hand did not seem to have any reservations at all about kissing his best friend or himself and after a moment of waiting on Remus to get the nerve, he pulled the other man in and laid it on him.

Not only did he plant his lips on him but Black took the moment further and full out snogged his best friend in his own body as if he had been just waiting to do this his entire life. Of course knowing the insanity that ran in the Black family line…he very well may have been doing just that.

Shaking off his shock and amusement and giving it just enough time to be satisfactory, Severus performed the counter spell and knew the moment Remus returned to his own body as he wrenched away from Sirius and started to wipe his mouth. Between swipes his ewws and oh Merlins Severus could not hold on to his laughter anymore and let his head fall back as his rarely heard baritone laugh echoed off the walls.

Both of the Marauders froze at the sound and then joined in as the situation truly came into focus for them both. Once all three of the men were able to get themselves under control, Sirius looked at Snape and offered his hand again.

Looking at it and then back at him, Severus raised his hand and shook with his lifelong nemesis. He had no idea what the future held but he hoped that it was better than what his past had been like.

"I have been talking to Dumbledore and he thinks that it will only take a month or two to get your name cleared and all charges brought against Peter. With the testament of Harry, Ron, and Hermione that they were in danger and you saved them from Peter, the charges of murder will not ever be filled in regards to his death either. In a few months' time you will be free Black."

Nodding and looking at Remus he smiled sadly.

"Maybe what they said was true Remus. **Maybe you should never trust a marauder, even if they're your best friend. **I say we let go of that name and find us a new way to identify ourselves."

Looking over at Snape he gives him one of his signature mischievous smiles.

"We could call ourselves kissing cousins. All we have to do is get one in on Snapey here and he can join."

As Black started to advance on him, Severus backed up and pulled his wand.

"Did I mention that you two didn't actually have to kiss and that was just added in the directions for my benefit?"

Watching the look on both Black and Lupin's face as they registered they had been pranked for the final time by Snape himself, their mouths dropped in shock and horror.

"A truce is a truce and you are stuck with it now Black. **Vengeance is sweet! Indeed!**"

Turning on the spot, Severus vanished from sight leaving the best friends to talk well into the night how they would find a way to get back at Snape while not breaking the truce.

* * *

As the graduation ceremony came to a close, Hermione could do nothing but smile. Looking around her at all her classmates, she could say she was never happier than right now. Voldemort was dead before he ever even got near Harry or the school. Thanks to some information that certain Order members obtained, his horcruxes were destroyed by Remus, Sirius, and Professor Snape and during a private meeting with the evil wizard, using Harry's given wand, Lucius Malfoy was able to kill the dark wizard once and for all.

Hermione could not believe it when the known pureblood bigot had come to the Order meeting to beg for his son's life to be spared and to ask for help getting him out of the situation. Once it was all settled, Hermione could remember the odd looks he would give her at other meetings and at some point he seemed to just suddenly respect her and like her. She had no idea what she had done but she was glad that she did not have to deal with him or Draco making sneering faces and derogatory comments every again. They were reformed men.

Walking over to Professor Snape, Hermione gives him a sweet smile and holds up her NEWT score.

"You said that if I obtained at least 8 NEWT's, one of them being an O in Potions that you would take me on as an apprentice. I got took ten and I got an O on all ten. Does the offer still stand?"

Turning his head to look down at the witch that he had grown to love over the years he spent with the future version of her, he gave her his signature smirk.

"I don't know Ms. Granger. **This viper simply slithers into the forest.** I have no intention of staying at Hogwarts after this year but to travel and research. I only stayed to ensure that you three made it out of your last year alive and with your NEWT's. Will you be traveling with me?" Raising an eyebrow at her, he turns so his body is fully facing her and crosses his arms.

"Professor…Severus…I will follow you to the ends of the Earth and back if that is what it takes…Always."

Feeling his heart warm at the knowledge that in the future she would still be his at some point, Severus nods and holds out his arm for her to take. Escorting her around so that she could tell everyone the good news about being his apprentice…good news, whoever would have seen that coming…he allowed a small smile to grace his face at the prospect of the bright future ahead of them…a future in which he was in fact still alive and breathing as she requested of him.


End file.
